1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to mailboxes and more particularly to a mailbox containing a detector for detecting the presence of a selectively predetermined piece of mail, such as mail having a ferrous metal or the like or magnetic material to actuate a radio transmitter capable of sending a signal to a nearby radio receiver which, in turn, controls the ultimate visual or audio announcement of the arrival of the mail. In lieu of radio transmission, electric wiring may be employed to control the ultimate announcement.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A number of mail detectors are known in the prior art, including those described in the following U.S. Patents:
______________________________________ U.S. Pat. No. Granted TO Date ______________________________________ 2,968,804 Buffington Mar. 19, 1957 3,611,333 Conigliaro Oct. 5, 1971 4,101,877 Rush Jul. 18, 1978 4,291,342 O'Connor Sep. 22, 1981 4,520,350 Huang May 28, 1985 4,651,135 Duhaime et al Mar. 17, 1987 ______________________________________
Canadian Patent No. 507,682 granted to Bordner on Dec. 6, 1954, also describes a mail detector.
Telephone answerers or answering machines which record messages and which can be accessed from distant telephones, are well known in the present commercial market. Automatic telephone dialers for "Smart" houses with automatic control systems interfacing various appliances and telephone answerers are also well known, and several such systems are described in the following issues of Popular Science Magazine: August 1988, June 1990, September 1990 and October 1990. In addition, Heath of Benton Harbor, Mich., sells a "House Sitter" which includes a dialer for initiating a telephone call up to four different programmable numbers upon certain alarm conditions. Similar systems for "Smart" office buildings are also well known, integrating air conditioning, security, life safety, etc.; these are described in various publications of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE). Metal detectors and magnetic detectors are also common in the prior art.
There is a need for a means of determining from a remote location whether or not a specific, important piece of mail has been delivered to a mailbox. Thus, a person at an office or place of work may want to know if an important contract, a check or a love letter has been delivered to the mailbox at home. Likewise, a person at home may want to know if a certain document has been delivered to the office mailbox on Saturday by the post office or at night by a courier service.